1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus for a tape cartridge having a leader block to which a magnetic tape is attached.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus that uses a tape cartridge of a single reel type has been known. As shown in FIG. 20, such a recording and/or reproducing apparatus 200 has, within a substantially rectangular main body 201, a cartridge loading mechanism 203 into which a tape cartridge 202 is loaded, a rotary magnetic head mechanism 205 for recording or reproducing information signals on or from a magnetic tape 204 wound in the tape cartridge 202, a take-up reel constituting a take-up mechanism for the magnetic tape 204 that is fed to the inside of the main body 201, and a carrying mechanism 207 for carrying the magnetic tape 204 between the tape cartridge 202 and the take-up reel 206.
This recording and/or reproducing apparatus 200 has the cartridge loading mechanism 203 provided on one end, in the longitudinal direction, of the main body 201, and has the take-up reel 206 provided on the other end of the main body 201. In addition, there is provided the carrying mechanism 207 towards the upper portion of the recording and/or reproducing apparatus 200 and the carrying mechanism 207 spans the rotary magnetic head mechanism 205 and the take-up reel 206. The carrying mechanism 207 is engaged with a leader block 210 attached to the tip of the magnetic tape 204 of the tape cartridge 202. The carrying mechanism has carrying means for carrying the leader block 210 between the tape cartridge 202 and the take-up reel 206, and chucking means for engaging the leader block 210 and the carrying means or for freeing this engagement.
The leader block 210, by which the magnetic tape 204 is clamped, is chucked by the chucking means of the carrying mechanism 207, is pulled out by the carrying means and is guided up to the take-up reel 206. After the leader block 210 is loaded around the rotary magnetic head mechanism 205, the magnetic tape 204 is run by having the magnetic tape 204 wound around the take-up reel 206.
Such a recording and/or reproducing apparatus 200 is used in, for example, libraries equipped with changer functions realized by robot arms and in which a plurality of the tape cartridges 202 of a single reel type, in which various information signals are recorded, are provided. In such libraries, because it becomes an obstacle in inserting or taking out the tape cartridge 202 with the robot arm, no cover member is provided at all over the insertion/ejection opening section 213 for the tape cartridge 202 provided on the front face side of the main body 201.